"This is what the old people told me when I was a child"

When the world was new, there were few stars in the sky and corn
was the staple of the Cherokee people. One morning, an elderly
couple discover that a giant spirit dog has been eating their
cornmeal during the night. The next time he appears, the people
jump out from hiding, beating drums and shaking rattles, and chase
the dog into the sky. As he flies away, cornmeal drops from his
mouth and becomes the stars of the Milky Way, called Gil'liutsun
stanun'yi, or "the place where the dog ran" in Cherokee. As are
most Native American folktales, this story is full of enchantment
and guidance at the same time. Stroud's acrylic illustrations
leave little distinction between individuals other than hair color,
but her spirit dog is a forceful apparition. Grade: B+. Reviewed by Steve Brock